Since You Came Along

by Sky Scraper

Ch. 4 - Lyra's Rest Cure

Lyra stood on the Canterlot High soccer pitch, dressed in a full-body peacock suit. What started as a perfectly normal tryout session had steadily evolved into... whatever this was. She stared blankly at the audience and let out a squawk. On the other side of the field, her best friend Bon Bon was now dressed as an owl. Then the next thing Lyra knew, she and Bon Bon were running, or perhaps flying, straight at each other, squawking and hooting at the top of their lungs. They drew closer and closer, and were about to collide in mid-air when Sandalwood's voice cut through their war cries. "Dudes! Vice Principal Luna just posted the roster for the Friendship Games team!"

Just like that, Lyra and Bon Bon forgot about whatever it was they were doing, and quickly rushed off to follow the rest of the students into the school. But before Lyra could reach the bulletin board, she heard a beeping noise coming from somewhere off to the side. It started quietly, then got progressively louder and louder. "Where's that noise coming from?!" she exclaimed.

None of the other students responded. Apparently, they couldn't hear anything.

The noise continued to get louder, and soon the incessant beeping was all Lyra could hear. "What the...?!" she shouted. "Whoever's making that noise, quit it!"

There was still no response. "Ugh!" Lyra growled in frustration. "Is this some kind of -"

---

Lyra jolted awake to find herself staring across the bed at her digital clock. It was 7:30 in the morning, and her alarm was going off. She reached over and slapped the snooze button. "Agh... what a night..." she groaned.

It was Friday morning, which meant the day of the Friendship Games tryouts had arrived. On most Fridays, Lyra sprung out of bed in a heartbeat, ready for the last day of the week. But this morning, she felt exhausted. The impending tryouts had been playing on her mind nonstop the night before, and the subject had found its way into her dreams as well. Lyra shut her eyes and pulled the blanket over her head, trying to clear her mind before she got up to start the day.

Ten minutes later, the alarm went off again. Lyra groaned as she realized she had to get up eventually. She reluctantly rolled out of bed and changed out of her soft pink pajamas. Once she'd gotten dressed, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom. Unfortunately, she found the door to the bathroom closed, and she could hear the voice of her younger sister humming inside. She knocked on the door. "Minty, will you please hurry up in there?" she shouted.

"Be patient, I'll be out in a sec!" came the annoyed reply. "I got here first. You snooze, you lose!"

"Fine..." Lyra stood outside the bathroom and waited.

Two minutes later, Minty Bubblegum came out. She was two years younger than Lyra, and had spring green skin and two-tone pink hair in almost the same style as her older sister. "Okay, the bathroom's yours now," she quipped. "Maybe I should have taken a little longer in there. Payback for you making me wait almost every other morning."

Lyra sighed. "Sorry. I overslept my alarm this morning. And the tryouts for the Friendship Games are today, so I really need to look nice."

Minty shrugged. "Eh, these things happen. Anyway, the bathroom's all yours now."

"Thank you very much!" Lyra said with a smile. She quickly entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Minty rolled her eyes and went downstairs for breakfast.

After applying her perfume and hair spray, Lyra trotted down the stairs and poured herself a bowl of cereal with strawberry milk. As usual, both of her parents were already out of the house. Her father was a music professor at a university several towns north, and her mother worked at a tea company in Canterlot's seaport district. After finishing her cereal and brushing her teeth, Lyra grabbed her backpack and headed out the door, waving goodbye to Minty as she left. But she'd barely made it down the steps before she'd realized she'd forgotten something - her disco outfit for the tryouts. She frantically ran upstairs to her room, grabbed the paper bag she'd been keeping the outfit in, then ran back downstairs and out the door again.

Two blocks down the street, Lyra met up with Bon Bon. "Hey, Lyra!" Bon Bon said cheerfully. "You ready for the tryouts?"

"As ready as I'll ever be..." Lyra chuckled. "I almost forgot to grab my outfit before I left." She held up the bag.

"Oof!" Bon Bon laughed. "Well, it's a good thing you realized before it was too late. I've got mine right here." She held up a plastic bag containing a tap dancing outfit.

"Speaking of the tryouts, I had a really weird dream about them last night," said Lyra.

"Really? I actually had one too. What was yours about?"

"Well, in my dream, the tryouts started like normal. I did my disco routine, you did your tap dance routine. Then for some reason, we started doing all kinds of weird stuff. Arm-wrestling with Bulk Biceps, ripping phone books in half, competitive eating, you name it."

"That's... crazy, because I think all of those things happened in my dream as well!" Bon Bon exclaimed. "Did we dress up as a peacock and an owl too?"

Lyra gasped. "We did! We were about to crash straight into each other in those costumes when we heard that Vice Principal Luna had posted the roster for the team. But before I got to see it, my alarm went off."

"Yep, same here," Bon Bon agreed. The two girls promptly burst out with laughter.

"Well, I guess we had literally the exact same dream!" Lyra laughed. "Right down to the costumes and everything!"

Bon Bon smiled and nodded. "Must be best friend telepathy. We know each other so well, don't we?"

"We sure do!" said Lyra.

The girls soon arrived at CHS, early as usual. They entered the main atrium and walked upstairs to put their dance outfits in their lockers. Bon Bon then headed to her first class, while Lyra stood by her locker and checked her phone for any social media notifications. She put her phone back in her pocket, and was about to go to the library when she saw Sky come up the stairs. "Hi, Sky!" she said, waving to him. "What's up?"

Sky smiled. "Hey, Lyra! Nothing much, I just got here. What are you up to?"

"Just chilling before class," Lyra replied. "Do you want to see my outfit for the Friendship Games tryouts?"

"Sure!" said Sky.

Lyra grabbed the paper bag and opened it for Sky to see. Inside were an airy yellow top, a purple skirt, dark purple leggings, and a pair of sparkly purple boots. "Ooh, pretty!" Sky exclaimed. "Is it a disco outfit?"

"It sure is! Bonnie and I are each doing a different dance style. I'm doing disco, she's doing tap dancing. We bought our outfits at the mall two weeks ago, right after we showed you around the school."

"Ooh, nice! I can't do any kind of dance to save my life..." Sky chuckled. "Good luck. I'm sure you'll blow everyone away!"

"Aww, thanks! I won't let you down." Outwardly, Lyra seemed confident and relaxed about the tryouts. But secretly, she was feeling rather nervous. "Anyway, I'd better go to class now. See you this afternoon!"

"You too!" said Sky. "Enjoy your day!"

Lyra headed to her Orchestra class with a smile on her face. Sky had only been at CHS for a week, but talking with him always put Lyra in a good mood.

---

Unfortunately, Lyra's good mood didn't last. Throughout the morning, she had difficulty concentrating during her classes, as her mind kept wandering back to the tryouts. She'd been practicing her disco routine for about a month now, but she was suddenly having second thoughts about it. She'd never danced in front of a crowd before, and the thought of taking a wrong step or getting stage fright was a fear that she couldn't push out of her mind. She tried to distract herself and focus on other things, but it was difficult when there were Friendship Games posters hung on seemingly every wall in the school.

Lyra went to the library after lunch, hoping to finally get some quiet time to relax. She found Sky doing homework at one of the side tables. "Hey..." she said as she sat down across from him.

"Hey, Lyra!" said Sky. "How's your day been so far?"

"It's been... all right, I guess," Lyra admitted. "Could be better."

Sky looked at Lyra with concern. "Oh, what's wrong?"

Lyra sighed. "Nothing, I guess I'm just feeling kind of nervous about the tryouts, that's all."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," said Sky. "Hell, I'd probably be too nervous to even try out at all! Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Lyra shrugged. "I'm not sure. Hopefully I can get over it before the end of the day."

Sky thought for a moment. He could tell that Lyra wasn't feeling like her usual sweet and cheerful self, and wanted to do whatever he could to help her. "You know, whenever I feel nervous about something, what usually helps me is just going outside. Do you want to do that? The weather's pretty nice today."

Lyra thought about it, then smiled. "Sure! I'd love to do that. We've got some free time before Chem right now, anyway."

Sky nodded. "Yep! We can go out to the field behind the school, maybe even take a short walk together."

"Ooh, a walk would be nice!" said Lyra. "Let's do that."

"Sounds good to me!" Sky and Lyra walked out of the library and down the hall. They exited the school through one of the side doors. "Good thing this isn't an emergency exit," Sky chuckled. "I remember when I used to set off the fire alarm at Crystal Prep just for the hell of it."

"Oh, jeez!" Lyra laughed.

Sky and Lyra walked along the sidewalk next to the school's main parking lot. When they reached the end, they turned left and began strolling over to the next block.

"One of my favorite things to do in the afternoon is take my dog for long walks around town," Sky said as they ambled through the peaceful neighborhood. "Did I tell you about my dog before?"

Lyra's eyes twinkled at the mention of a dog. "No... what kind of dog is it?"

"He's a yellow Lab. His name's Duke. I got him as a puppy when I was ten."

"Aww! I bet he's a good boy."

Sky smiled and nodded. "Oh, he's the goodest boy! He loves nothing more than getting attention from his favorite people. Being grounded right now isn't ideal, but Duke probably loves it because now I spend even more time petting him."

"Probably," Lyra giggled. "That's really nice. I have a cat at home, but I love dogs just as much."

Sky chuckled. "I've always been good with both. Almost every dog or cat I've met seems to love me."

Lyra winked at Sky. "I guess they know a good person when they see one."

Sky smiled and blushed lightly. "I guess so!"

As they continued their walk around the block, both Lyra and Sky could feel themselves decompressing. The sun was shining overhead, they could hear birds chirping in the trees, and there was hardly any wind at all. "This is a nice day for a walk, isn't it?" Sky remarked.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Lyra agreed. "I think this is just what I needed to unwind."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Sky said with a smile. "Sometimes we all just need a little fresh air. It's almost like a rest cure."

Lyra nodded in agreement. "It really is. But I think my 'rest cure' is just spending time with my friends. Like you, Sky."

Sky smiled warmly. "Thanks, Lyra. That means a lot. I'm always happy to help a good friend feel better."

Lyra smiled back. "Same to you, Sky."

Sky and Lyra turned back onto the road that led to CHS. When they entered through the front door, the hallways were full of students all walking to their next class. "Looks like we're just in time," Sky chuckled. "You ready for Chem?"

"I sure am!" Lyra replied. "Especially now that I've gotten some fresh air with you." She and Sky set off down the hall together. Lyra didn't feel nearly as nervous about the tryouts now, and she was ready for whatever the rest of the day had to offer.

---

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. "All right, everyone, time to clean up!" Vermilion Brushstroke announced to her Drawing & Painting class. She was Canterlot High's most popular art teacher, a young woman with light tan skin, long wavy scarlet hair, and a laid-back and friendly personality. She allowed all of her students to call her by her first name. "As always, your only homework is to do something fun and relaxing over the weekend. And to those of you trying out for the Friendship Games, best of luck! I'm sure you'll do great!"

Sky, Lyra and Bon Bon got up from their table and returned their colored pencils to where they'd found them. They then grabbed their backpacks and headed out of the art room. "Thank you!" Lyra called to Vermilion as she left.

"You're welcome!" Vermilion replied with a smile. "Good luck at the tryouts!"

"Isn't Vermilion just the nicest teacher ever?" Lyra remarked to Sky as they walked down the hall together.

"She really is!" Sky agreed. "I don't think I've ever had a teacher as laid-back as her. It's nice having an art class again."

"Did they not have art classes at Crystal Prep?" Bon Bon asked.

"They did," Sky replied, "but... let's just say my disciplinary record meant I didn't get first pick when it came to electives."

Further down the hall, Lyra and Bon Bon stopped to retrieve their dance outfits from their lockers. "Looks like it's time for me to head home," said Sky. "Good luck, and see you on Monday!"

"Thanks, Sky!" Lyra replied with a grin. "And thank you so much for helping me relax today. I really needed it!"

Sky smiled. "It was my pleasure. I'm glad I was able to help you!" With that, Sky headed downstairs and out of the building to begin his weekend.

Lyra and Bon Bon headed across the school to the gym. They entered the girls' locker room and found two empty changing stalls. A minute later, they emerged wearing their dance outfits. "Wow, you're looking fab!" said Bon Bon.

"So are you!" Lyra said in return. "You ready to show 'em what we got?"

"Readier than ever!" replied Bon Bon. "How about you?"

"Ready and roaring!" Lyra said with determination. "Let's do this!" They slapped their hands together and shook in agreement, then headed outdoors to the soccer pitch.

A handful of students were already waiting in the bleachers, and Vice Principal Luna sat in the front row holding a clipboard. When Lyra and Bon Bon arrived, Luna checked both of their names off the list.

Lyra and Bon Bon sat next to each other in the third row. Looking around, Lyra could see many more students filing in. The competition looked stiff, so she hoped her disco routine would be impressive enough.

About ten minutes later, Luna stood up to make an announcement. "Since it looks like everyone who signed up is here, it is my pleasure to announce that tryouts for the Friendship Games will now commence! We will go in alphabetical order, so first up is Applejack!" Everyone clapped as the blonde country girl made her way onto the field, holding a bag of apples.

"I'm gonna entertain y'all with a quick jugglin' routine," said Applejack. She opened the bag to reveal two green apples and two red apples. She tossed the apples into the air and began to juggle them rapidly. She juggled the apples for about two minutes, and at the end, she caught the green and red ones separately. The audience applauded as she tipped her hat to them and returned to the bleachers.

One by one, each student showed off a unique talent of theirs, while Luna jotted things down in a small notebook. After what seemed like ages, it was Lyra's turn to go. When Luna called her name, she quickly hopped down onto the field and motioned to Vinyl Scratch, the school's resident DJ. Vinyl quickly brought out a pair of speakers, and Lyra connected them to her phone. "I'll be dancing to a song I wrote and mixed together myself," she explained to the audience. "I hope you enjoy!"

Lyra placed her phone on top of one of the speakers, and pushed the play button on the screen. When the music started to play, she began to dance. To create the music, she'd written a harp solo piece and mixed it with electronic disco instruments to create a very unique song. As soon as it began playing, she was totally in the groove. She forgot all about the audience that was watching her, and moved effortlessly to the rhythm. When the song ended, she flashed the audience a peace sign and returned to her seat. She was given incredibly loud applause, and Luna had a big smile on her face as she took notes on Lyra's performance.

Within the next half hour, the tryouts concluded. "All right, it looks like that's everyone," said Luna. "To each of you who tried out, thank you very much! You all did a wonderful job, so my sister and I will certainly have our work cut out to determine the Friendship Games roster. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!"

With that, the students began filing out of the bleachers to head home for the weekend. Lyra and Bon Bon walked off together. "Lyra, you did amazing!" exclaimed Bon Bon. "You were so smooth out there!"

"Ah, well," Lyra replied modestly, "all I had to do was just get in the groove. You were amazing, too! I've never seen anyone move their feet so fast!"

Bon Bon smiled. "You know me, Lyra. I'm like a secret agent, quick on my feet!" The two girls put their arms around each other, and giggled long and loud. While they would have to wait until Monday to know the results, they knew they'd both put in performances they could be proud of.

---

On Monday morning, Lyra hurried along the road to school, a new spring in her step. While she'd had a nice weekend, she had been dying to find out if she had made the Friendship Games team. When she met up with Bon Bon, she found that her best friend had been feeling the exact same way. "Let's hurry up!" said Bon Bon. "The sooner we get to school, the sooner we'll know!"

Lyra and Bon Bon arrived at school in record time, and quickly found the bulletin board outside Principal Celestia's office. At the center on the board was a list of twelve names - the names of the students who would be on the Canterlot High Friendship Games team.

"I made the team!" exclaimed Lyra.

"I made the team too!" exclaimed Bon Bon.

"We both made the team!" they exclaimed in unison. They hugged each other tightly and squealed with delight. All those weeks of preparation had well and truly paid off.

Author's Note:

Yes, "All's Fair in Love and Friendship Games" was a weird dream that Lyra and Bon Bon both had. That's the only way I could think to explain it.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

nicely done! Looking forward to see the next chapter.

[Sky Scraper]

11072818
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[Bronycommander]

11072821
you're welcome